How Decades of Demonizing of Conservatives Fueled Deadly Violence - We are living in a moment of political violence that is not out of nowhere. The assassination attempt on Donald Trump in 2024 and the killing of Charlie Kirk in 2025 are not isolated events—they are downstream consequences of years of demonizing rhetoric. Much of that has come from the left, though conservatives have their share too. But what is shocking to many who trafficked in utterances like “Nazis,” “fascists,” “dictators,” “authoritarian” for Republicans, is seeing those words turned from metaphor into something more real, something deadly.br br 1. The Attempt on Donald Trump (2024) as Preludebr br In July 2024, Donald Trump was shot at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in what was deemed an attempted assassination. Wikipediabr The shooter fired from a nearby rooftop, and while Trump survived, the death of an attendee and injuries to others underscored the risk borne by political polarization.br In the aftermath, there was broad reaction—not just condemnation of violence, but also finger-pointing: Republicans blamed Biden and Democratic leaders’ rhetoric, suggesting that harsh, demeaning language toward Trump (“he’s evil,” “threat to democracy,” etc.) laid the foundation for such violence. br This incident should have served as warning: words matter. Demonization of political opponents as existential threats doesn’t stay in the realm of speech forever.br br 2. The Killing of Charlie Kirk (2025) and Immediate Rhetoricbr br Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University during a public event. Authorities have described this as a political assassination. br In the immediate wake, many conservative leaders (including President Trump) blamed the “radical left,” saying rhetoric from the left had created an environment where this violence was possible. br Media outlets have reported this framing: CNN, MSNBC, and other networks have run commentary that implies that left-wing rhetoric is to blame. For example, reporting has noted that progressive or liberal voices have compared Republicans to “Nazis” or “fascists” in recent years, and these stories now ask whether that kind of language contributed to an environment of political violence. (Some reports also push back, saying that we don’t yet have confirmed evidence tying the shooter ideologically to “the left” beyond expressions of opposition to Kirk’s views.) br br 3. The Rhetoric From the Left Over Decadesbr br To understand how the recent events could happen, we need to go back and catalog some of the more extreme or demonizing rhetoric from past decades—especially from the left—toward conservatives or Republicans. Here are some illustrative examples:br br During the Reagan Administration, prominent Democrats, intellectuals, media figures frequently compared Reagan’s policies and approach to authoritarianism, fascism, or even Hitler.